China Rejects ‘Political Disinformation’ Claims in US Government Email Breach

China has strongly denied involvement in a reported cyberattack against U.S. congressional committees, dismissing the allegations as “politically motivated disinformation” during a Thursday press briefing in Beijing.

“We have always opposed and lawfully combated hacker activities, and we are even more opposed to spreading false information related to China for political purposes,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning when questioned about the breach. The statement represents China’s first official response to the allegations.

The denial comes after the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that a Chinese hacking group had compromised email accounts belonging to staff members of several influential committees in the U.S. House of Representatives. The newspaper cited multiple sources familiar with the matter but did not specify which committees were targeted.

This incident marks the latest in a series of escalating cybersecurity tensions between the world’s two largest economies. In recent years, U.S. intelligence agencies and private security firms have repeatedly pointed to China-linked actors as responsible for numerous digital intrusions targeting government agencies, defense contractors, and critical infrastructure.

Cybersecurity experts note that congressional committees often handle sensitive information related to national security, economic policy, and international relations, making them high-value targets for foreign intelligence collection. Committee staff typically have access to non-classified but politically sensitive communications and policy deliberations that could provide valuable insights into U.S. legislative priorities and strategies.

The timing of the reported breach is particularly significant, coming amid already strained U.S.-China relations over issues including trade policies, human rights concerns, and geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific region. The allegations emerge as both nations have cautiously resumed diplomatic engagement following a period of heightened tensions.

U.S. officials have become increasingly vocal about Chinese cyber operations in recent years. In July 2021, the Biden administration formally accused China of responsibility for a massive hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software, an unusual public attribution that was joined by several allies. China similarly denied those allegations.

Cybersecurity firms tracking Chinese state-sponsored hacking groups have observed increasingly sophisticated tactics in recent campaigns. These operations often employ advanced social engineering techniques, zero-day vulnerabilities, and custom malware designed to evade detection by standard security tools.

The Chinese government consistently maintains that it is a victim, not a perpetrator, of cyberattacks. Beijing has previously called for international cooperation to combat cyber threats and has criticized what it characterizes as unfounded accusations that lack concrete evidence.

For congressional lawmakers, the reported breach raises urgent questions about the security of legislative branch communications. Previous incidents targeting Congress have led to enhanced security measures, but the persistent nature of advanced hacking operations presents ongoing challenges for defenders.

Neither the specific Chinese hacking group allegedly responsible nor technical details about how the breach was executed were disclosed in initial reports. The U.S. government has not yet issued an official statement confirming the incident or attributing it to China.

Cybersecurity analysts suggest that email compromise operations typically aim to gather intelligence rather than cause disruption, making them difficult to detect until well after initial access has been achieved. Such breaches can provide attackers with valuable information and potentially serve as a stepping stone to accessing more sensitive networks.

As investigations into the reported incident continue, this case highlights the ongoing cybersecurity challenges faced by government institutions in an era of sophisticated digital espionage and the complex diplomatic repercussions that follow public attributions of such attacks.